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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29351313">Oblivion</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom'>accio_broom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Gen, Roller Coasters, hints of Romione, minor swears, theme park</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:01:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29351313</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>IWSC: Hermione &amp; Ron take Harry out for the day to cheer him up post-war.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger &amp; Harry Potter &amp; Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>International Wizarding School Competition - Ilvermorny</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Oblivion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My IWSC Round entry. The theme was family, and my prompts were [Setting] Theme Park &amp; [Emotion] Vigilance. </p><p>Thank you to Magpie, Captain Vox, Vee &amp; adenei for betaing for me. </p><p>I hope you enjoy x</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Golden Trio stared up at their latest challenge, flinching as the beast roared past them, their light summer clothing rippling in the breeze from the rush. They had a moment of respite, no longer than a minute, before the creature attacked again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He curled his fingers around the wand in his pocket. His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty. It was only Hermione, sliding her hand into Ron’s for reassurance. He spotted the redhead give her hand a firm squeeze, although it did nothing to comfort any of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Constant Vigilance</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what Mad-Eye Moody used to say, muttering it at every opportunity. It was one of the many mottos Harry had taken with him from the members of the Order he looked up to. Moody, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lupin &amp; Tonks. They had all left this life far too soon, just like his parents, denying him of any hope of growing a family out of the ragtag group of rebels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry hadn’t thought he would need to be vigilant today. It had been Hermione’s idea to come here, a ruse to break him out of his moping around the Burrow. He did enough to appease the Weasleys, but otherwise kept his head low and was quiet. He tucked himself away in Ron’s bedroom, only emerging for food and comfort breaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ironically, this was the same pattern of behaviour the Dursleys had embedded in him. Keep out of the way; stay out of trouble, and NEVER do magic. They were the first family he’d known, but they were only linked to him by blood. He wasn’t sad that they were now out of his life. Wryly, he thought they probably felt the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought he’d be safe here, surrounded by Muggles but every roar of the beast in front of them brought back Moody’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you two said this would be fun,” Harry shouted over the roar of the beast and the screams of the Muggles around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was Hermione’s idea,” Ron said, not looking away from the silver shining in the sun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You thought it was a good idea too.” Hermione was the palest out of all of them, and Harry noticed she was trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s the last time I trust these two.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Although he knew that was a lie. He depended on them, he always had, and they, the same. They had each other’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry should have known that coming here was a bad idea. There was a distinct lack of security at the grand entranceway, especially so soon after the war. At the time, he had found it strangely reassuring that Muggles were able to get on with their lives without any disruptions. Now, faced with the metal beast, he wasn’t so sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess we should get this over with.” He turned to his best friends and attempted a smile, although it came out more grimace-like. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled his hand out of his pocket, leaving his wand there for the time being. He took an enormous breath and summoned all his Gryffindor courage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring it on, Oblivion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione let out a small whimper but followed them, still keeping a tight grip on Ron’s hand as the three of them crossed the threshold and into the queue. They followed the path as it twisted and turned, leading them to their final destination. Eventually, they joined the throngs of the waiting Muggles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio had been in awe of the theme park when they’d first arrived. Built around the Alton Towers estate, among rolling hills, there was a certain magic about the place. Everywhere they looked, they could see gardens, the ruins of the old house, and lakes. It was as if a disillusionment charm had been placed over the area without it’s partnering </span>
  <em>
    <span>Muffliato</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It did nothing to mask the roaring roller coasters, the screams of the riders or the smells of the many types of food carts scattered around the area. There had been nervous excitement at first, but that soon turned into terror as they faced the first ride on Hermione’s list.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oblivion.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron wrapped his spare arm firmly around Hermione as they started to shuffle the rest of the way towards the ride.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how does it work?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, ask the walking encyclopedia!” She tutted, causing both boys to laugh, and the nervous tension to disappear. “There are brakes at the top of the drop. They catch the roller coaster car, and I guess they’re on a timer. When they’re released, gravity takes hold. The speed and angle of the drop see the cart right through to the end of the ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio watched as a car made its steady climb, travelling around the tracks towards the drop. It was vertical. The riders were held teetering over the edge, pausing for a toe-curling amount of time before it was finally released, freefalling into a hole dug into the ground. The people around them gasped, watching it with fear and reverence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron seemed to be the only person enjoying watching the show. He whooped with glee, his eyes shooting back up to the top to watch the next cart as it rounded towards the drop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, but anyone paying enough attention to him could see the hesitance in his eyes. Sure, he had ridden a Hippogriff, and he loved to fly as fast as he possibly could, but he had the safety of magic surrounding him then. There would be no spell to catch him if something went wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His fingers itched to slide back into his pocket, racking his brain for a charm that could keep everyone safe, but still have fun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s face, however, had changed from pale colour to a sickly green. She grabbed Harry’s hand too, holding it so tightly, he thought she might break his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Hermione. You rode a dragon, so this should be easy!” Harry squeezed her hand anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. To escape death!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione looked between the boys for support, but they both avoided eye contact. She sighed, defeated as the ride attendant called them up and they went through the routine of getting fastened into the huge metallic cart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train made its journey up the lift, and Harry couldn’t help but use the opportunity to survey their surroundings. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Constant vigilance</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The park was starting to fill up now, and Harry’s stomach lurched as he wondered if any of the ant-like Muggles wandering through the grounds were a threat to him and his friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, all Harry could see was black. His ears rushed with the unsteady pound of his heart, and he could feel his stomach up somewhere near his throat. Alton Towers was the worst idea Hermione had ever had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With everything he’d been through, all the mentors, the people who he had once craved to call family, the people who had died to protect him—they would kill him if they found out this was the way he was repaying their efforts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ride held for three seconds, but it felt like Harry’s short life flashed before his eyes. He knew what it was like to die; he’d been there before and survived. This felt worse, somehow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” Hermione swore as they were finally released. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rush stole the air from Harry’s lungs, clouding his vision and claiming his hearing. It became every part of his being as they plummeted back towards earth more quickly than he could ever imagine. But he didn’t die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, Harry felt alive, more so than he had for a long time. His pulse pounded at every point. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as the cart finished its descent. A quick succession of turns, almost gave him whiplash as it finally arrived back at the station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was even better than flying. Harry couldn’t wait to tell Ginny.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the morning went like this—the three of them moving from ride to ride, enjoying the chance to act like teenagers. Just teenagers. There were no Horcruxes to hunt and no annual threat of death. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, there was a part of Harry that was always looking over his shoulder, eyeing the Muggles that pressed in around them as they moved through the crowds. He was looking for the hidden Death Eater in every tourist. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Constant Vigilance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he leaned into the fun, learning to relax, and as the morning progressed, he felt his alertness start to slip. His fingers found their way to his wand less often. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no threat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had the same conversation at every ride—Ron asking how it worked, Hermione nervously protesting. Each ride was different—some spun them around, some got them soaking wet, and there were others that did both and more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>⁂</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio paused for lunch, buying a selection of food from all of the stands. It was still a novel idea that they could eat freely without having to worry about running out. Hermione transfigured her jumper into a blanket (throwing out all thoughts of vigilance as she did so).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they’d eaten their food, they lingered on the blanket, still recovering from their exhilarating morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is nice, isn’t it?” Hermione broke the silence first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was picking daisies out of the grass and threading them through Ron’s hair. He was lying still, his head in her lap with his eyes closed, letting her do as she wanted. Harry couldn’t help but smile at the ease of their relationship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s nice?” Harry pulled his knees up to his chin and watched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just being able to lie out here and enjoy the quiet. We don’t have to rush anywhere else unless we want to. There’s no urgency.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that is nice.” If he wanted to, Harry could lie out in the grass, close his eyes and drift off to sleep without having to worry about a nightmare. He didn’t want to hide, mope, or feel scared anymore. He wanted to have fun, and he wanted to start thinking about what might come next. “What are you going to do? Once the summer is over, I mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron opened his eyes, and Harry noticed him exchange a tender look with Hermione. She abandoned the daisies and linked her fingers with his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going back to school with Ginny and Luna. Ron and I have talked about it, and it’s the next logical step. I want to get my N.E.W.T’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I do not want my N.E.W.T’S—no bloody way. I’ll be glad if I never have to go back to learning!” Ron laughed as Hermione chastised him. “I’m going to speak to Shacklebolt when he next stops by. Dad mentioned something about how they’re short on Aurors, and they need help. So, I’m going to offer up my services, whatever they need. Hopefully, I can get on the training programme, but we’ll see…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could I come with you? To see Shacklebolt, too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione got up suddenly, moving around the blanket to sit next to Harry. Before he could even work out what she was doing, she had her arms around him tightly, her face pressed against his neck. Harry looked past her towards Ron, who was looking equally as perplexed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to protect the Wizarding World anymore; you know that, right?” Her voice disappeared against his skin, but he knew what she was saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but I’m kind of good at it!” Harry’s eyes met Ron’s again, and he gave his best friend a cocky grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione pulled away, her eyes red from crying, and she pushed against his shoulder lightly. “You’re a git! I’m just saying; you can do what you want now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but Auror was always top of the list, even before the war. I reckon it’ll be good if Shacklebolt will have me! If not, I reckon ‘Ministry janitor’ sounds good!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To being Ministry janitors.” Ron cheered and clinked his can of coke with Harry’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, come on then, you idiots. If you’re going to be janitors, this might be your last day of fun. Cleaning is hard work, and we have plenty of rides still to tick off before the end of the day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They tidied away, and Harry watched Ron and Hermione as they looped their arms around each other’s waists before starting to walk over the green towards the path that would take them to their next adventure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought about the family he’d had before them—the Durselys, Sirius, Tonks &amp; Lupin, the Gryffindors. They were in the past now, and for some of them, that was regretful. For others, it was a more welcoming thought. Hermione and Ron, along with the rest of the Weasleys, were his chosen family now. Had been for a while truthfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time since he’d sat next to Voldemort’s dead body, he felt peace wash over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Family is more than blood and a name. Harry could keep the memory of the people who had loved him alive by using their experiences positively. For those family members that had sought to harm him, he could ensure he would never make the same mistakes as they did. But family, for Harry at least, are the people that stood by him when he needed them, and who made him laugh when he felt he couldn’t.</span>
</p>
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